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Cabernet Sauvignon from California

Winemaker's Notes

Rich with complexity, this
Cabernet is an easily approachable
wine that anyone will
enjoy. Its dark cherry and
toasted oak aromas complement
the juicy black currant
and spicy cherry flavors that
tantalize the palate. Well-balanced,
with a toasted oak
finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic
wine known for its magnificent
structure. Therefore, it should
be served with classic foods
such as rich stews, red meat
and game. But this softer, fruit-forward style also pairs well
with grilled chicken marinated
in herbs, flavorful pastas,
mushroom and eggplant
dishes.

Ironstone Winery

The story of Ironstone Vineyards started in the hands of John Kautz, a young row crop farmer from Lodi who saw the future in growing wine grapes in Lodi. With 12 acres in 1948, John quickly built an excellent reputation as a premium wine grape supplier, amassing over 5,000 acres of grapes in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills and eventually becoming one of the top ten wine grape growers in California.

In 1988, John, his wife Gail and their children dedicated themselves to the creation of a wine of their own. While still maintaining grape sales to top wineries around the world, they brought award-winning winemaker Steve Millier aboard to launch Kautz wines, which would evolve into Ironstone Vineyards, a wine brand dedicated to the production of exceptional wines of unparalleled quality, outstanding value and everyday approachability.

In 1989, using dynamite, pick axes and shovels, a crew of miners carved through limestone and Calaveras Schist Rock on Gail’s family ranch in Murphys, California and fashioned the site of Ironstone’s wine aging caverns, which in the beginning, also served as the facility’s first tasting room., Ironstone Wines and the Ironstone Winery have each grown and become famous in their own way. John, Gail and each of their four children - Stephen, Kurt, Jack, and Joan - remain actively involved in the growth of both the winery facility and the wine brand.
View all Ironstone Wines

About Other California

California has nearly 100 American Viticulture Areas (AVAs) and accounts for almost 90% of wine production in the United States. In our section of Other California, we include wines from smaller AVAs as well as wines from the California AVA. Here are a few smaller AVAs you may see on the label:

Livermore Valley AVA

, located right outside of San Francisco and home to wineries such as Wente.

Lodi County AVA

, an AVA further east of San Francisco and known for its excellent, old-vine Zinfandels.

San Francisco Bay AVA

, a sprawling AVA that covers Contra Costa, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, to name a few.
Wine that holds only the California AVA is typically a wine that includes grapes from a number of different AVAs, which leads to the general labeling of the wine as California. This does not denote the quality of the wine, only the diversity of where the grapes originate.

About California

It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum.

The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.

A balanced Cabernet Sauvignon ideal for an evening glass to help unwind or for a meal any day of the
week, this wine makes its intentions known with aromas of bright strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry followed by notes of black ...

The 2012 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon is deep purple in color with ruby edges. The aromas show notes of black cherry,
blackstrap molasses, sandlewood, a hint of mint, and smoky French oak. In the mouth, there are flavors of blackberry pie, ...

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Crisp

Light to medium bodied wines that are high in acid and light to medium fruit. Typically no oak.